Inspired by the site-specific installation by Los Angeles-based artist April Street, The Mariners' Grand Staircase (Armoured Stars, Flying Clouds), currently installed in the Museum's Park Lobby, this conversation between artist Tony de los Reyes and writer Sameer Pandya explores the symbolic potential of the sea. As Herman Melville wrote, why did some "...hold the sea holy?" Why, like Narcissus, do we see ourselves in rivers and oceans? Why, with its associations of unpredictability, infinity, the beginnings of life, turbulent passions, unfettered freedom, purification, solitude and rebellion, does water seduce us, console us, and alarm us?

Parallel Stories is a literary and performing arts series that pairs art and artists with award-winning authors and performers of regional, national, and international acclaim. This series functions as a multidisciplinary lens through which to view the Museum's collection and special exhibitions.